January 22, 2008 -- Oscar-nominated Australian actor Heath Ledger
died today in his SoHo apartment of an apparent sleeping-pill overdose,
police said. He was 28. Ledger was found naked by his maid and a massage therapist with
whom he had a scheduled 3 p.m. appointment at his apartment at 421
Broome Street. When they went to his bedroom at about 3:20 p.m., Ledger was
lying face down and unresponsive, police sources said. Cops said
sleeping pills were strewn around the bed and there was a bottle next
to the actors body, police sources said. Unable to wake him, the maid and therapist called 911 at about 3:26.
Emergency workers were unable to revive the star and he was pronounced
dead at 3:35 p.m. Bottles of Diazepam and Alprazolam, both anti-anxiety drugs
prescribed in his name, were found in the house, according to law
enforcement sources. Ledger's uncle and confidant, Neil Bell, said that his family
was "devastated," according to close friend, LA-based private
investigator Paul Baressi.
"He said the father and mother are devastated because they
found out of his death through the media," said Baressi, who talked to
Bell less than a half an hour after Ledger's death.Locals in the neighborhood said Ledger was low-key."We always greeted each other, it’s such a shock," said Julie McIntosh, 32, who works in a hair salon on his block. It was unclear if it was an intentional or accidental death. Ledger split last year from partner, Michelle Williams, with whom he has a daughter, Matilda. Ledger's early career as an actor was marked by small roles in several independent features in his home country of Australia. He broke onto the international movie scene in 1999 with his
turn as the brooding high-school heart-throb who captures Julia Stiles'
attention in "10 Things I Hate About You." After starring roles in "The
Patriot," "A Knight's Tale," and "The Brothers Grimm," Ledger earned
critical acclaim with his poignant performance as a gay cattle rancher
in director Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," for which he was nominated
for an Academy Award for Best Actor. SOURCE OF THIS STORY
